I have nothing new to say about the horrifying shooting that occurred in Virginia on Monday. My heart goes out to the friends and families of the victims. I hope that I can discuss what I think is an interesting linguistic note, without detracting from the gravity and tragedy of the event.
President Bush, in his address to the nation, said he was “shocked and saddened.” In nearly every news story about his statement, this was the phrase singled out. Similarly, the Queen of England was “shocked and saddened” by the news. Robert H. Tate, an alumni of Virginia Polytechnic Institute, used the same words. To extend the phenomenon beyond these exact words, Senator Obama said he was “grieved and shocked” and Jacques Chirac was filled with “horror and consternation.” What is it about these words, and the ideas behind these words, over any others, that hold appeal for world leaders? Certainly, the event was both shocking and saddening. But it was also grotesque, incomprehensible, a number of reactions are appropriate to the situation. There is also a lack of condolences, sympathies, solicitude, or what have you, expressed directly in the phrase, though they were often expressed elsewhere in statements given. What is powerful about this phrase? It’s succinct and alliterative, but those reasons hardly account for its ubiquity. It may simply be a meme, the way some words and phrases like “hegemony” or “litmus test” flow in and out of our vocabulary, erupting into popular use and fading out again. Perhaps there is something about the nature of the ideas being conveyed. Unlike giving sympathies or condolences, there is nothing about “shocked” or “saddened” that even begins to suggest insincerity. While someone could fake being either, it seems they need not – the facts of the event themselves are shocking, and saddening. It is no stretch for someone to imagine even his worst political enemies as shocked or saddened by such a gruesome event. Being “shocked,” also, implies a break with the norm – that this was unexpected and irregular.
I don’t have any clear idea of why this phrase has been locked on to by so many, but the pattern is noticeable.
